The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

The 12 stories in this collection, many originating in the oral traditions of Europe and Africa, dating from ancient times to the 20th century, all involve rabbis who use magic to help their fellow Jews. Arranged chronologically according to Jewish holidays, each tale features a rabbi who uses magic and magical powers—powers given (or lent) to him or her by God with the express purpose of helping the Jewish people. Each story, two to four pages in length, is accompanied by an afterword providing information about the holiday to which the story is connected, followed by a brief biographical passage about the rabbi whose story has just been told. The tales, including one about a female rabbi in 16th-17th-century Kurdistan, are set all over the world, including Eastern Europe, Germany, Spain, Afghanistan, and Morocco. Many figures in Jewish history show up in these stories. Maimonides, a 12th-century philosopher and sage, amazes the people of Fez, Morocco, by being able to instantly transport himself to Jerusalem for the Sabbath. The Baal Shem Tov, the 18th-century founder of Hasidism, lost in the Carpathian Mountains during a blizzard, is led out of the forest by Mattathias, the father of the Maccabees who fought the Syrians in the second century and who figures prominently in the Hanukkah story. The captivating black-and-white illustrations, fantastical, mystical, and even eerie, fit perfectly with the stories. While Schwartz can occasionally be overly didactic in the text dealing with the background of the tales, sometimes laboriously linking the stories to contemporary life in an attempt to make them “relevant,” the tales themselves are winning. Just right for reading aloud and discussing in the classroom or at home. (Glossary, source notes) (Folk tales. 8-13)

Be the first to discover new talent!
Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.
Sign up here to receive your FREE alerts.